Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-09-01
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE WORD "FINIs. ,


~ can have no objection, Ethel; it
does not concern me in the least" said
the duke. If it will give you any
pleasure, do SO by all means. You
know that | only live to please YOU"
The young duchess stood by her
husbands side, one white hand resting
on his shoulder, her lovely face, with
an expression Of plead ing, raised to his.
She wore an exquisite morning robe OF
pale rose silk-neitner Jewels nor
flowers in her hair, and she looked as
fresh as the morning itself. But the
kindly heart of hers was distressed.
Yesterday, when she sent Jennie to
Mrs Grey, the pretty lady's-maid found
her very ill; she had been unconscious
for some time. Jennie had taken upon
herself to send for the doctor, and the
doctor said there were symptoms of
brain fever, and that she required
change of scene. and certainly more
society; that her lonely isolated life
was telling upon her, and doing her
harm; he might have added that the
fire of longing, ever burning in her
heart was consuming her, but the doc
tor did not know this. He saw that
was ICuiCuS
lady, he knew that she must once have
been In very different circumstances,
but he could form no oppinion of the
cause of the feverei longing that was
killing her. Why any lady so refined
and beautiful should be living in Lime
Terrace working for her living, he
could not tell, nor did it conc srn hun
he was there to cure her, not to make
ts,r, .trtA hat n, ct
that unless she was very careful she
would have brain fever, and that she
must change her habits of life.
or course Jennie told the duchess,
and the duchess was very much dis
tressed. She could not tell why she
had taken so great fancy to Mrs.
Grey, but she certainly had done SO.
They had, after fashion, becom,
friends; many an hour had the young
duchess spent I'm the little house
charmed by the conversation of her
companion. Mrs. Grey never spoke of
herself, of her own likes and dislikes,
of her ideas or tastes, but she had a
charming, graceful, original fashion Of
discussing every other topic. She
talked of books, Of pictures, of flowers;
she had read much, and remembered
what she had read.
Amongst all the fine ladies or her
acquaintance, those she had known In
London aud those she had met In the
country, there was no one like her.
The duchess enjoyed those quiet hours.
She did not think much of the mystery
Of that lonely life; to thing which
struck her most was this-that this
lady, well born and we'll bred, had
evidently lost everything in life held
most dear. Her next thought was
what she could do to help her to COM
fort her, to give her some OF the
luxuries to which she must at one time
or another have been accustomed.
And an idea had occurred to her as to
how she might best do this. Mrs.
Hilton had been speaking to her OF
some valuable tapestry that wanted
repairing, Some of her own magnifi-
cent lace, too, required looking over,
and her idea was to ask Mrs. Grey to
spend some few weeks at the Castle.
IL she asked her to come purposely
that she might employ herself In re-
pairing the ancient tapestry and the
lace, Mrs. Grey would not have any
feeling Of obligations; she would be
much happier than II she were asked to
go out of mere charitable kindness.
II was the duchess's kindly, graceful,
delcate way OF doing things. Mrs.
Grey could have the room, called the
apestry-room, where she could sit Il
work; II would be the kindest thing